


The Dog Days Aren't Over

by FullMoonFlight



Series: 2k16 writing challenge [4]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Dogs, F/M, Modern AU, dog owner!Clarke, marine!bellamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 21:50:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5944318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullMoonFlight/pseuds/FullMoonFlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke had no idea what she was getting herself into when she finally got that dog she had wanted ever since she was a kid. Luckily for her, things worked out pretty great in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dog Days Aren't Over

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't find anything about it in the US so I assume it doesn't happen over there, but this whole civilians taking care of future police/military dogs is actually a real thing over here in Sweden. I saw someone ask about whether the caretakers would receive updates or would be able to see the dogs again and when they replied saying it was entirely up to the dogs' handlers I knew they were just begging for a fic about it.

Deep down, Clarke had known she would end up getting too attached, but she couldn’t help herself.  She had seen the ad online, the armed forces were looking for caretakers for future military dogs and it had just seemed like the perfect opportunity. She had always wanted a dog as a kid but her parents had always claimed they didn’t have time for a dog, which to be fair was probably true, but it had not made it any easier to accept for little seven year old Clarke who had to listen enviously to Harper talk about how great her new puppy was in class for _two whole months_. As she got older she grew to accept her parents’ reasoning, but she never really stopped dreaming of the day she would finally be able to get her own dog. In fact, it was one of the things that made it easier for Clarke to accept her mother’s relationship with Kane. He usually brought his two Rottweilers with him to dinner, so when things got awkward Clarke could just focus on them. It had worked great so far, they were lovely dogs and Kane seemed to appreciate her affection for them.

After graduating college and starting working as a graphic designer, she considered finally getting that dog she had been dreaming of for so long, but there was always something holding her back. It took her awhile to admit it, but she was scared. After all, dogs were a huge commitment and she really didn’t want to be the type of person who got a puppy only to leave it at a pound once it started chewing on her shoes. She had never actually _had_ a dog, what if she only liked them when she could easily return them to their owners if they were too much trouble, what if she didn’t like dogs as a long term commitment. And it was a huge commitment, she had done her research and dogs could live up to ten, maybe even twenty years.

She had voiced her concerns to Kane one night, when Abby was running late for dinner and it was just the two of them sitting in the living room making painfully awkward chit chat. He had been very patient and listened to her fears, but didn’t immediately try to assuage them. Instead, he discussed every aspect of dog ownership with her, went through the pros and cons with her, told her of personal experiences and coached her through her concerns. By the time Abby finally arrived, they had talked more in that one night than they had in the entire two years Marcus had been seeing her mother and Clarke felt much better. Still, there was something holding her back.

She wasn’t quite ready to commit yet, so when she read the ad she was delighted. If they chose her, she would become the caretaker of a puppy who was destined to become a police or military dog until the dog was around a year and a half old, at which time he would take some kind of test to determine whether he had the right temperament for a future in law enforcement. She would have to follow their guidelines for training him, but after reading through it, it didn’t seem much stricter than anything she would have done anyway so it was perfect. She would get to try out being a dog owner, if she felt it didn’t suit her, it was only for a little over a year so she could deal with it and make sure to give the puppy the best possible home in that time before letting him go. If it _did_ suit her, she would then actually have some experience and have a better sense of what she was getting herself into. She knew having to give up a puppy she’d taken care of and loved for a year would be hard, but told herself that by knowing when she had to give him up she could prepare herself better. After all, even if she had a dog she was going to keep for the rest of its life, she would eventually have to give him up because of their short lifespan, so wouldn’t it be better to know _when_ that was going to happen? Besides, there was always the chance that the dog didn’t get picked for the training program after the tests, at which point she would be offered to buy and keep him permanently.

She didn’t think she would actually get picked, not really, what with her lack of experience and there had to be hundreds if not thousands of applicants, but about a week after she had submitted application they called her for an interview and only a couple of weeks after that, she took the day off work to go pick up her new friend. Luckily, she worked for a pretty small and laidback company and they were fine with her bringing the puppy into work so he wouldn’t have to be alone for eight hours a day at such a young age, as long as she cleaned up after him and didn’t let him distract her or her colleagues’ work.

The kennel chose the names for the dogs, the kennel attendant that greeted her when she came to pick him up explained that they’d had a bit too many come back with either inappropriate or “just plain weird” names so they decided to just name them themselves. Each litter had a theme and hers was clearly Tolkien related, as the gorgeous little thing she got to take home was called Fili. He looked like the typical German Shepherd, mostly black but with tan markings on his legs, chest and face. At his young age, his ears didn’t stand up like the adults but flopped over themselves towards the snout. He was eight weeks, the attendant told her, and weighed a little over 20 pounds. He was _perfect._ He seemed thrilled to see her, wagging his tail and barking excitedly.

She had done plenty of research before picking him up, she had read books, found blogs online and nearly blown up Marcus’ phone, texting him question after question. He had been remarkably patient with her, Clarke knew some of her questions had to be ridiculous, but he had answered every single one of them. It took her awhile to realise that the weird look on his face whenever they talked about it in person was pride. Abby didn’t share their apparent interest in dog training, but she was thrilled enough that they were talking so easily that she didn’t let it bother her that every time Clarke came for a visit, the conversation excluded her. She had voiced her concerns regarding Clarke having to give Fili up at the end of the 18 months, but it was a testament to how far their relationship had gotten since those rocky teen years after Jake died that Clarke accepted her concerns calmly and Abby trusted Clarke enough not to bring it up after the first time. She even bought Fili a plushie in the shape of a wolf to play with, which turned out to be his favourite toy.

Clarke was amazed how fast time seemed to go by. She signed up for a puppy training course shortly after Fili got his three months’ vaccinations and she had a blast. Seeing how quickly he picked up on various tricks and commands was amazing and she felt a thrill whenever she remembered that _she_ was the one who taught him that. Marcus was also a huge help, having had large dogs for most of his adult life, he had plenty of tips and pointers on how to train Fili. She made sure to keep to a schedule, as her dog trainer contact from the Armed Forces recommended.

Every day they got up early and had breakfast before walking to work, where Clarke would get on with her day while Fili slept or entertained himself with the various toys or chewing bones her colleagues kept bringing to work. Everyone loved having him at the office and as soon as he was house broken, he was allowed to roam the corridors freely while Clarke worked. (When she started leaving him at home, first for half the day and then gradually upping it until he stayed home alone while she was at work most days, all of her colleagues regularly commented on how much they missed having him around, but the most surprising was that Indra, her rather strict boss seemed downright upset.) After work they took the long way home to make sure he got enough exercise and spent the evening either lazing around on the couch, playing or training. On the weekends she went for a longer walk around the city or took him to the local dog park so he would get the opportunity to interact with other dogs. Before she knew it, Fili was already a year and a half and she was making the call to schedule his aptitude tests.

Although she didn’t like to admit it, a small part of her wished that he would fail so that she could keep him forever, but she was sure he wouldn’t. He was a fantastic dog, he was so smart and kind and loyal and he was going to do great. Marcus had taken her aside one night to see how she was doing with the tests coming up and gently reminded her that Fili was going to do something great. He was going to either become a police dog or go into the military and wherever he ended up, he was going to be saving lives and making the world a better place. Clarke knew he was right and she had thanked him for talking to him, but still she ended up inviting Fili to sleep in her bed that night and cried herself to sleep with her fingers wrapped in his fur.

The drive to the kennel seemed shorter than the first time while simultaneously being the longest drive of Clarke’s life. Fili was strapped in his harness in the backseat and seemed to sense her mood, letting out these sad, almost pathetic little whimpers every now and then. She parked the car out front and took a deep breathe, willing herself not to cry in front of the personnel, before getting out and opening the door for Fili.

“You’re such a good boy and I love you so much, you know that right?” She bent down on her knees to hug him around the neck for a while, sniffling into his fur. “You’re going to do great,” she said as she scratched him behind the ears before getting up and walking towards the kennel, Fili staying obediently by her side.

The person waiting for them by the door was the same as the one who had given Fili to Clarke in the first place, she vaguely remembered her introducing herself as Monroe, which the nametag on her chest confirmed. Monroe shook Clarke’s hand before reaching down to greet Fili too, offering him some treats and a bit of head-scratching as she made small talk with Clarke. She handed Clarke some forms that needed signing before telling her about the process that waited for Fili. She explained some of the tests he would be taking and how he would get a few lessons from one of their trainers before officially making the decision about two weeks after he had been dropped off.

“If you’d like, we can call you when his results are in and let you know how he did,” Monroe offered. “And if he’s deemed unsuitable for this type of work, you’ll be the first in line if you’re interested in adopting him.”

“Yeah, I’d really appreciate that,” Clarke said hoarsely with tears forming in her eyes, despite her insistence that she wouldn’t cry in there, “and I’d really like that. He’s a great dog.” Fili let out a playful bark and wagged his tail, as though he knew what she was saying and trying to show his agreement.

“Great,” Monroe smiled. “I’m just going to go put these forms away, if you’d like to say goodbye in private.” She was already on her way towards the door in the back of the room before Clarke managed to nod her head in reply.

Monroe took her time putting the forms away, which Clarke appreciated as she clung to Fili, whispering how great he was and how proud she was of him. Two years ago she never would have believed she would get this emotional over a dog, but there she was, blubbering into his fur. She was going to miss him. After a while Monroe coughed softly from the doorway, an understanding look on her face as she headed towards them. She probably saw this every day, Clarke thought to herself.

“Hey, uhm, I was wondering,” Clarke started hesitantly, “is there any way to get like, updates on how he’s doing? I mean I know you probably can’t tell me what he’s going to be doing or anything I just thought… It’d be nice to know he’s okay, you know?”

“It’s difficult, because we don’t know what unit he’s going to end up in or anything until after he’s started training, so we can’t guarantee anything and it’s nothing we here at the kennel can do and once he’s graduated it’s entirely up to the handler, whether they have time or even want to do so. There’s nothing that says they can’t keep in touch, but we don’t ask them to either.” Monroe explained. “The best I can do is forward your contact information to whichever unit he ends up with, but what they do with it is entirely up to them.”

“No I understand, thank you. I’d definitely like to at least let them know I’d be interested in being contacted, so do you think you could give them my phone number or email or something?”

“Of course,” Monroe smiled.

 “Thank you. I guess I better get going,” Clarke handed Fili’s leash over to Monroe, scratching him behind his ears the way he loved one last time, before hurrying towards the door with one last look towards _her_ dog staring back at her, not understanding why she was leaving him there with a stranger.

She let herself have one good cry in the car, before heading back home, reminding herself that she was giving him up for a good cause. If she spent the night in her pyjamas, stuffing herself full on Ben & Jerry’s and going through all the pictures of Fili on her phone, that was her business.

Two weeks later Monroe called to tell her Fili had unsurprisingly done great on his tests and would be starting training within the week.

Life went on just as it always had, after that. It took a while for Clarke to get used to being alone in her apartment again, but she learned to deal with it. She decided she would definitely be getting another dog, this time to keep forever, but she wanted to wait until she didn’t miss Fili quite so much as she worried that a small part of her might be disappointed if she got another dog and he wasn’t exactly like Fili.

Nearly two years later, she had long since gotten back into her routine and had forgotten all about asking to receive updates from Fili, since she never heard anything from the kennel again. She had just started looking up local kennels and pounds to decide where she wanted to adopt a dog from when she received an email from a [bblake@gmail.com](mailto:bblake@gmail.com), introducing himself as Sergeant Blake with the U.S. Marines, who had been “lucky enough” (his words) to be paired with Fili as his handler. Sergeant Blake didn’t say much, other than Fili was happy and healthy and doing a great job, but he attached ten pictures  of Fili, which Clarke thanked him profusely for and spent the rest of the night viewing them, smiling at how much Fili seemed to have grown.

Eventually, Clarke ended up adopting a five year old German Shepherd mix from a local pound named Coda, who she brought into work with her every day since he didn’t deal very well with being alone. Her co-workers were happy to welcome him to the office and he quickly became good friends with Axel, the pitbull mix Indra had adopted shortly after Clarke gave up Fili and brought to work every day. Every few months Sergeant Blake would send her short updates along with at least five new pictures of Fili and after a while they started chatting. They didn’t discuss anything overly personal, Clarke mostly told him about Coda and the things they got up to and Blake described some of the guys in his unit and the pranks they played on each other, but it was nice to get a sense of the person Fili worked with.

About two years after the first email and nearly four years after Clarke returned Fili to the kennel, she got a rather surprising email from Bellamy, as he had recently asked her to call him. It was the shortest she had ever received from him, which was saying pretty much because Bellamy’s email were never very long and all it said was “hey, you live in boston, right?” Clarke immediately replied telling him yes, she did indeed live in Boston and wondered what on earth he was thinking. Surprisingly, she received a reply the very next day.

_Sorry if this seemed creepy, your address was included in the contact information I received. The reason I ask is because Fili and I are actually going to be in Boston next month and I thought you might want to see him?_

_Regards, Bellamy_

Clarke quickly replied that yes, she would love to and they agreed to meet one Saturday at the dog park she usually went to. She had some doubts about meeting up with a stranger who she had only exchanged emails with, but quickly dismissed them reminding herself that surely she had to be able to trust him (and if he _was_ some kind of axe murderer, he had her address and she was screwed anyway).

Finally, the day arrived and Clarke, too nervous and excited to wait any longer arrived at the dog park with Coda about half an hour before they were set to meet. She distracted herself by watching Coda run around and play with the other dogs, amazed at how much more confident he had become since she got him. She had even managed to stop anxiously looking at the gate every five minutes as she watched Coda run around, which is why she was totally unprepared for the 70 pounds of a thrilled German Shepherd running towards her at full speed, knocking her to the ground and attacking her face with slobber. She laughed, so relieved that he actually remembered her and alternated between running her fingers all over him, scratching him wherever she could and hugging him close. She was slightly embarrassed at the tears running down her face, but decided she didn’t care. She had really missed this big goofball and couldn’t believe he was actually there after so many years.

“So I guess you’re Clarke?” an amused voice sounded from her left, she turned her head towards it, at first seeing only the black boots as she was still laying in the grass, before moving her gaze upwards taking in Sergeant Blake.  She didn’t know what she had expected, but it definitely wasn’t this. Bellamy was gorgeous, there was no other word for it, really. He had broad shoulders and she could tell, even through his leather jacket that he wore so well that he was bound to have strong, muscular arms. His dark hair was slightly longer than the standard marine buzz cut and she could see slight stubble covering his chin. He had Fili’s leather leash in one hand and as Clarke struggled to get back on her feet he reached out the other to pull her up.

“Uh yes, hi, you must be Bellamy,” she quickly ran a hand through her hair, hoping that her brief tumble with Fili hadn’t messed it up too badly before reaching it out to shake his. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“Hey, you too,” Bellamy smiled as he shook her hand, giving her a quick but obvious once over before moving his gaze towards Fili, who hadn’t stopped wagging his tail since he saw Clarke, and Coda who had trotted towards them when he saw Clarke get pushed towards the ground. “So is this one yours?” he nodded his head towards the slightly smaller dog.

“Yeah, that’s Coda,” she couldn’t help smiling as she watched him hesitantly move towards Fili. She needn’t have worry, it didn’t take long for the two to start butting their heads at each other and initiate a game of chase. She gestured towards a nearby bench, where they could sit down and watch the two dogs running around. “I wasn’t sure if he’d remember me,” she added after a moment of awkward silence.

“They’ve got a better memory than we think,” Bellamy reassured her, “and clearly, he’s missed you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy.”

His words brought a smile to Clarke’s face, she really was thrilled to get the chance to see Fili again. They made small talk for a little while, in that awkward way small talk with a perfect stranger always was, but mostly just sat there keeping an eye on their dogs.

“What are you doing in town?” Clarke asked after a while. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“No it’s fine,” Bellamy replied, “I’m on leave and my sister recently moved here, so I’m staying with her.”

After that it got easier, they talked some about their personal lives, their families and friends, hobbies and whatever else got to mind. Clarke discovered Bellamy was actually hilarious, his dry wit had her laughing more than she had in weeks and she found they seemed to have a lot in common. She hadn’t realised how long they had sat there, until Coda walked over and put his head in her lap, a clear sign he was tired and wanted to go home, that she noticed it was getting darker and there were far less people in the park than there had been when they arrived.

“I guess I’d better get this one home,” she said, trying and probably failing to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “He gets cranky if he doesn’t get his nap.”

“Yeah, I didn’t realise it was this late,” Bellamy replied, sounding just as disappointed as he looked at his watch. “Listen… I’m actually going to be in town for a while, so maybe we could do this again some time? I’m sure Fili would love to spend more time with you.”

“I’d like that,” Clarke smiled.

“And maybe we could grab something to eat sometime?” He added hopefully, “without the dogs?”

“I’d _really_ like that,” Clarke’s smile widened. “I assume you got my number along with my address?” she teased.

“I did, yeah,” Bellamy said with a sheepish smile. “So I’ll call you then?”

“I can’t wait.” They stood there, smiling at each other until Coda butted his head against Clarke’s legs as if to remind her that he was still there. Clarke couldn’t help the silly smile on her face as she walked home from the park. It wasn’t every day she finally got to see her dog again _and_ met a nice, gorgeous guy. She really hadn’t had a clue what she was getting her into when she had taken Fili in all those years ago, but it was so worth it in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Coda is also real, he's a dog at a local pound and he's so cute and adorable and I feel so bad for him because he's been up for adoption for ages. If I could I'd adopt him myself but since I can't I made Clarke do it instead.
> 
> I'm fullmoonflight on tumblr, come talk to me!


End file.
